How did you learn about computer hardware?

I know basic knowledge, which I've gathered from browsing forums, google searches when buying new components and such, but I was wondering how the majority of you learned? Are there any good sites which I can lurk on to further my knowledge? Don't want to be thrown in at the deep end though, just want some noob friendly knowledge as I love learning about PC's and their various componants.

My father taught me

Looked in the sky.

I know basic knowledge, which I've gathered from browsing forums, google searches when buying new components and such, but I was wondering how the majority of you learned? Are there any good sites which I can lurk on to further my knowledge? Don't want to be thrown in at the deep end though, just want some noob friendly knowledge as I love learning about PC's and their various componants.

Majistrate

I started with the Atari 2600 (long ago) which was pretty much idiot-proof. Around the same timeframe, I started getting acquainted with computers by hanging out with friends who had Apple IIs and Commodore 64s followed by others with IBM PCs. Around 1986, I bought a Commodore C128 but got rid of it for a Tandy 1000SX a year later. The Tandy 1000SX got replaced, in turn, by a Commodore Amiga A500 which started my Amiga platform use until 1995. CP/M and MS-DOS wasn't too hard to learn. AmigaDOS seemed a bit harder with syntax more akin to unix/linux.

By the start of the 90's, I was becoming intrigued with DIY PCs. I can also see Commodore not having much time left. So, I slowly made the move to PCs. I went to a PC shop where the owner was conducting free clinics (for his customers) on how to assemble a DIY PC. I bought my PC parts and the shop owner provided instructions while I did the actual assembly.

I'm quite jaded by now. But, back then (1993), I was pretty proud with my first DIY; proud enough to take a Polaroid photo of it :lol:

Looked in the sky.

slipknot0129

A combination of a class in high school and pursuing that interest further and learned most I know from internet board lurking and tech websites, building my own, etc.

Internet forums and online guides.

Got Halo Combat Evolved and I couldn't play it, so I started to google the problem and learned that my graphics card wasn't up to it, that lead to researching gpu for me to buy, motherboard slots to be sure it fits, power supply for enough power and It got interesting so I kept doing research and reading on online forums.

I used to read magazine on computer gaming, which often included news on the latest hardware. Back in the 90s the family bought run of the mill pre-builds, so I generally kept an eye on what was what.

aschool + youtube

Back in 2004 through magazines.

My father taught me

Lox_Cropek

Got taught by my uncle back in the days of the 8086 and MS-DOS, went on to study IT, worked for major companies like IBM, learned system engineering, built data centres all over the world, etc.

..Then get told by 12 year olds on an internet forum that I don't know nothing about system building!

Got taught by my uncle back in the days of the 8086 and MS-DOS, went on to study IT, worked for major companies like IBM, learned system engineering, built data centres all over the world, etc.

..Then get told by 12 year olds on an internet forum that I don't know nothing about system building!

Sturmfuehrer_

[QUOTE="Sturmfuehrer_"]

Got taught by my uncle back in the days of the 8086 and MS-DOS, went on to study IT, worked for major companies like IBM, learned system engineering, built data centres all over the world, etc.

..Then get told by 12 year olds on an internet forum that I don't know nothing about system building!

JigglyWiggly_

A fond curiousness about computers from my childhood. The internet has obviously been an immense help and this forum has been the most useful thing on the internet for me, have learned so much from here and still learning.

The interenet

This forum help anyone to become an Expert in no time for Computer Hardware but iv Started From Back in how to add Ram looking at Benchmark at how Game Will be Affect With Selected CPU / Ram / Video card / Driver From there you get a idea what budget should be for obtain Amazing Gaming Performances

But I must Say Learning about Computer hardware was Hard Before 2006 not much detailed Benchmark and Guide that explained everything in 2,000 word you now know what ur going with and less necessary to return a product to store with restocking fee lol before you just expected number = tell everything

[QUOTE="Sturmfuehrer_"]

Got taught by my uncle back in the days of the 8086 and MS-DOS, went on to study IT, worked for major companies like IBM, learned system engineering, built data centres all over the world, etc.

..Then get told by 12 year olds on an internet forum that I don't know nothing about system building!

JigglyWiggly_

I lol'd

trial and error using left over parts

the internet was still mostly just used by corporations when I began. dat 9600 baud modem

Got taught by my uncle back in the days of the 8086 and MS-DOS, went on to study IT, worked for major companies like IBM, learned system engineering, built data centres all over the world, etc.

..Then get told by 12 year olds on an internet forum that I don't know nothing about system building!

Sturmfuehrer_

From my experience working in IT, most IT people don't know how to build home systems.

So that makes perfect sense.

I keep waiting for it to rub off on me.

iv spoken to many IT and they mostly didn't know which Video card is Strongest and how overclocking is essential and they didn't know about the product there selling despite you see 5 Year of Experiance on there t-shirt and he go like yeah im an IT :cool:

but they did know how to solve some error related to Window's for sure but when it came to Hardware some gave really bad advice to Both Family & Friend i know and i was like are you even sure ur an IT ? cause it like what he said made absolute nonsense hardware wise

iv spoken to many IT and they mostly didn't know which Video card is Strongest and how overclocking is essential and they didn't know about the product there selling but they did know how to solve some error but some gave really bad advice and i was like are you even sure ur an IT ? cause what he said made absolute nonsense hardware wise marcthpro

That sounds more like a salesperson than an IT pro.

Yeah I seen SAles person that claim they where IT : trying to screw me but i don't fall for it : but that not the matter with at least 6 Friend I know i was like : that a Sales person : not a IT but he was like Dude he TOLD ME Is an IT if i was close to the shop would have went to verify is (Certificate) because no way he was one

i know some are Salesman while some are like Computer Technician : Some are both yet not a IT PRO in there Computer lab (fixing computer) and lot didn't Know to how solve many problem related to hardware but came up with idea what could cause it but they did know how to solve problem related to window & user error much more then Geeksquad At Bestbuy which pretend they know what they talking about but not at all :roll:

Btw I re-edited my last post

I get all my hardware knowledge from SW.

I got my first pc for my 16th birthday. Over the next couple of years I gradually upgraded it, adding more RAM, a second hard drive, and a new gpu. Some years later I decided it was time for an upgrade. I wanted to build my own so I just researched online for a couple of weeks, ordered the parts and built it. It was such a great feeling when I got it up and running.

Ya from my experience as well IT people really dont know much about gaming PCs.

All that attention wh0ring! You just gotta love the immature replies here.

But since every IT pro doesn't know squat about his job, the world can be glad to have the collective Gamespot brains to

spec PCs for everyone else. :roll:

this, he's budget thread is fail fail fail tread he fails

ArchDemon123

Failed how?I have yet to see someone come up with different builds.

You obviously fail at everything else. Even basic English.

All that attention wh0ring! You just gotta love the immature replies here.

But since every IT pro doesn't know squat about his job, the world can be glad to have the collective Gamespot brains to

spec PCs for everyone else. :roll:

[QUOTE="ArchDemon123"]

this, he's budget thread is fail fail fail tread he fails

Sturmfuehrer_

Failed how?I have yet to see someone come up with different builds.

You obviously fail at everything else. Even basic English.

[QUOTE="Sturmfuehrer_"]

All that attention wh0ring! You just gotta love the immature replies here.

But since every IT pro doesn't know squat about his job, the world can be glad to have the collective Gamespot brains to

spec PCs for everyone else. :roll:

[QUOTE="ArchDemon123"]

this, he's budget thread is fail fail fail tread he fails

JigglyWiggly_

Failed how?I have yet to see someone come up with different builds.

You obviously fail at everything else. Even basic English.

but you rit, i cannot write engrish to wewl, i not work IT

yeh men my boss at Lunix enterprises wanted me to upgrade their servers, from intel xeon cluster i asked gamespot but they said lunix sucks and xeon is also crap so i got 7970 in sli and put windows 7 64 on it because windows 8 sucks and put a amd athlon 4200+ bcuz amd is always the way 2 go on a budget i got a promotionJigglyWiggly_

Congrats!

Now that just taught me a lesson. I'm converted. I'll always ask and listen to the Gamespot collective from now on.

rofl :lol: it's not so hard to make budget builds, and i think the comments on your fail thread speak for themselves, fail thread is fail

but you rit, i cannot write engrish to wewl, i not work IT

ArchDemon123

Wait, maybe you dont' fail at everything after all. You're good at being ignorant!

[QUOTE="JigglyWiggly_"]yeh men my boss at Lunix enterprises wanted me to upgrade their servers, from intel xeon cluster i asked gamespot but they said lunix sucks and xeon is also crap so i got 7970 in sli and put windows 7 64 on it because windows 8 sucks and put a amd athlon 4200+ bcuz amd is always the way 2 go on a budget i got a promotionSturmfuehrer_

Congrats!

Now that just taught me a lesson. I'm converted. I'll always ask and listen to the Gamespot collective from now on.

rofl :lol: it's not so hard to make budget builds, and i think the comments on your fail thread speak for themselves, fail thread is fail

but you rit, i cannot write engrish to wewl, i not work IT

ArchDemon123

Wait, maybe you dont' fail at everything after all. You're good at being ignorant!

[QUOTE="Sturmfuehrer_"]

[QUOTE="JigglyWiggly_"]

Congrats!

Now that just taught me a lesson. I'm converted. I'll always ask and listen to the Gamespot collective from now on.

[QUOTE="ArchDemon123"]

rofl :lol: it's not so hard to make budget builds, and i think the comments on your fail thread speak for themselves, fail thread is fail

but you rit, i cannot write engrish to wewl, i not work IT

ArchDemon123

Wait, maybe you dont' fail at everything after all. You're good at being ignorant!

Whatever floats your boat.

IT folks are usually the pros when it comes to neworks and infrastructure but not necessarily the workstations/nodes that hook up to the network. If I want advice on DIY PC parts (aside from my own research), I go to a PC shop that specializes in DIY. That or PC gamers. Another I might consider are Systems Analysts since they also have to factor in PC specs to their work. But, I'm sure they have bigger and grander things to worry about than mere PC specs.

I learned from reading and building pc's and networks.

IT folks are usually the pros when it comes to neworks and infrastructure but not necessarily the workstations/nodes that hook up to the network. If I want advice on DIY PC parts (aside from my own research), I go to a PC shop that specializes in DIY. That or PC gamers. Another I might consider are Systems Analysts since they also have to factor in PC specs to their work. But, I'm sure they have bigger and grander things to worry about than mere PC specs.

jun_aka_pekto